


You are Barry Missed

by Quartzitedecadence



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Literally all of IPRE is mentioned, More of an exploration of Barry and Taako's friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 05:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quartzitedecadence/pseuds/Quartzitedecadence
Summary: Barry didn't know where to start. When was the last time he slept? It didn't matter. He needed to find Lup because this world couldn't endure this. But where was she?Finding her was difficult to do alone, and Taako could see that with his own experience.Taako forced Barry to let him help, but first, that man needed to take care of himself.





	You are Barry Missed

This was probably the hundredth time Barry fell asleep on his desk while conducting a study. He stopped counting. Countering insomnia was impossible and why sleep? He wouldn’t find his  _ wife _ doing nothing. So the engineer invested his energy to the studies, about the relics, but the paramount to him was searching for Lup.

 

His desk was famous for being one of neater ones, succeeded by their chronicler’s. Books on one side, papers on the other, pens nestled in a container offset from the center, all able to be revealed under the lamp. It wasn’t like that. Parchments of maps, marked by a marker, scattered in the middle. The books were pushed aside, some resting on the floor. The pens were fantasy Easter eggs where they could be found anywhere in his room, on his pillow, in his jeans,  _ in _ his keyboard (which he didn’t comprehend). If only Lup could appear like them, out of nowhere, resplendent.

 

Barry admitted, his life was the sorry state of the desk.

 

With the relics the crew unleashed into this world, causing divisions, destroying towns, destroying homes, destroying ecosystems, destroying, destroying, destroying… It was laying it thick on his conscience. There were nights where he swore he heard the people suffering under his relic pleading for pardon. 

 

It wasn’t just his item wrecking havoc. This whole crew made one, the main objective was to entice the user into utilizing it to subdue the attraction brought by the Light of Creation. The crew was being buried under their guilt. The could be called the harbingers of the end (but they are  _ not _ the Hunger). Their eyes were often downcast, furtive glances to the decaying world below. Don’t think he missed the way people distracted themselves: playing card games, writing, dancing, and huh, he was focusing on finding Lup more than finding a solution.

 

Unlike him, she took action instead of gaining futile respite. One day, she up and disappeared. He imagined the day when they had to part, the event would be grand. When she departed, it left a hole in his heart because of its abruptness. In her stead was a lone paper having the words, “Back soon” sealed by a kiss.

 

Lup was fed up. The suffering of this world was their fault, so she placed it upon her shoulders to rectify it. Barry, he wouldn’t have been worried if she came a few days later, empty-handed, but alive and well. There was no restarts after this world. Then days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Something happened to Lup. He was going to figure it out. 

 

Lup, what happened to you?

 

In front of him was a series of red marks on the map, mostly circles on probable locations. The ship landed a couple of times, thus he was able to nab some books from the nearest merchant about the planet. All he hoped was that they were true. With a marker in hand, he circled-

 

A dish of steaming hot pot roast, adorned by a colorful selection of vegetables, was slammed on top of the location. Barry jumps back, stumbling on his chair, “What the fuck!” He said. He fixed his glasses to glare at his intruder. His gaze softened when he identified the elf.

 

“Lu-“ He caught his mistake. They’re  _ twins _ . He hadn’t made that mistake in decades. Plus the elf held his posture that contrasted his sister’s. “Hey, Taako.”

 

“What’s up,” the elf said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, a slight slump in his shoulders.

 

The human whipped his head to the door that was wide open. When did he come in? “How did-“ Barry did tend to concentrate on a singular objective, being on the ship lowered his awareness, so bad question. “Why did you- I,” he rubbed the back of his neck, taking a seat by his desk. “Why did you come here?”

 

Taako gestured to the meal. “Well, I’m pretty sure that humans need to eat, and I know that I make some fucking good food. Gimme that good praise.”

 

Barry chuckled. ‘Course it was Taako who brought his world into view. Especially with some cuisine in tow.

 

“Can’t have you getting as bad as Lucretia. She hasn’t been out of her room in  _ ages _ . Believe me, Mags tried,”  Taako said. “Now,  _ eat _ ,” the elf shoved eating utensils into his friend’s hands.

 

“Shouldn’t I eat this in the dining room?” Staring at the food, Barry would salivate over the smell and the presentation. It was appetizing, everything the elf made was appetizing, yet his stomach churned.

 

“Nah, you haven’t eaten food- the actual good shit- in a while. And that thing you call food is atrocious and should stay in the trash where it belongs.”

 

“Hey! At least I eat. Fantasy Cheerios aren’t  _ too _ bad.” Barry said as his stomach growled, then he averted his gaze.

 

“Yeah, you’re right. They’re a real fuckin’ disgrace. Never should’ve existed, unlike  _ my  _ cooking, which you haven’t touched.”

 

“I will, I will,” Barry said, steeling himself for a bite. One bite.

 

Then the dish was wiped clean. 

 

“See, what’d I tell you?” Taako said, sauntering over to pick the dish off the desk and making it disappear in a dazzling light.

 

The elf brushed out the map previously hidden by the meal, tracing his fingers across the marks. His lips pursed. “Is this all you have?”

 

Barry sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. “I- yes, Taako. I can discern locations, but where she is? It’s beyond me.”

 

“Just you? You gotta make that you and me,” Taako pointed to himself. “I have some stuff ‘bout it, so if we group that shit, we might have a better chance at finding Lup.”

 

Barry said, “But what if she’s just gone, Taako. What if she-“ Why was he giving doubt to her  _ brother _ ? He, himself, wasn’t doubting her existence.

 

“I’m refusing to acknowledge that,” Taako turned his back from Barry. “She said, she’ll be back soon, so we’ll speed up the process. Did you check any of these places yet?”

 

“Davenport found it easier on all of us if we hide our existence, but… he never disagreed to help us find her,” Barry let out a breath he didn’t know he held.

 

“Obviously not, he might have a one-track mind, but he cares. We’re going to demand him to park the Starblaster near a location. If he says no, then we’ll have to deal with it,” Taako pointed at an ‘X’.

 

“Thought you would say fuck ‘im,” Barry said.

 

“That’s Lup, be-tee-dubs I’d like to see the day my sister returns, Barold. Also, are these mostly near the place she put her gauntlet?”

 

Her gauntlet was known for being destructive, burning down towns within minutes. Four towns it destroyed so far and in close vicinity. 

 

“As far as I know, the surrounding areas are in ruin, so… And, I’ve got-“

 

“Nuh-uh, I’ve been spending far too long on this ship, and you in your room. I’m getting  _ exhausted _ of seeing sky everywhere I turn. And you’re getting the help from  _ the _ Taako, you know how many would like that?”

 

“Frankly, Taako, I don’t.” Not in this planar system. Taako had an uncanny ability to lure people in. He could’ve been a TV personality if didn’t join.

 

“Remember that one- no nevermind, you don’t appreciate the opportunity when it hits you.”

 

Barry laughed, “Okay, but I’m serious, I’ve got this under control.” He had the charts, and being a lich and her likewise, he had the time. But did this world?

 

“You and your what? The last you slept is probably some strange time,” the elf continued when his friend didn’t answer, “Fuck, you’re going to kill that body of yours if you don’t do something.”

 

“Liches don’t need a physical body. It doesn’t matter if this body perished.”

 

Taako scoffed. “I don’t want the ship to be haunted again because of that spectral body, thank you. I’ll banish your ass from this plane myself. Magnus fearing ghost spiders is enough. And you hate dying.”

 

“All true.”

 

Taako fished Barry from the chair and pulled him towards the deck, the other hand holding the map. He released the human in order to lean against the railing. The wind brushing through his hair. The view beyond the railing was the realistic version of the map. “So that’s why it looked familiar. We’re not far. Tell Cap’nport to land soon. Actually, wait- yeah, you tell him to land and then you head straight to sleepytown.”

 

“Taako, wait- that is my map. I need to survey the damage with my own eyes. If you went alone, who’d protect you? Davenport’s manning the ship, Merle’s doing who knows what, Magnus is being quiet, and Lucretia’s locked herself up. And that’s coming from the man who locked himself up.” Barry couldn’t pry his eyes away, “The things it did. Look!”

 

Gods, he could see pieces of burnt plains on the ground. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen, they overshot it. If this was what Lup’s relic was capable of, who’s to say that the others’ have done the same or even worse?

 

“And I am your family. See, I’m more helpful than that shitty cleric when it comes to health! Just go, I’ve got this. I’ll actually be back soon, natch. And if that doesn’t fucking please you, you come next time.”

 

“Can’t I come this time?” Barry stole the map and peered over the edge, “it isn’t even that far. I’m not tired.” Arguing with Taako felt like being a petulant child. “We should compare data too.”

 

“Can’t sleep?” Taako sighed, “The place is only like an hour away… I’ve got an idea, you may be still banned from the kitchen, this is an exception.”

 

“Taako, it was only one experiment,” the engineer said. There might have been an incident with baking soda and vinegar, and said vinegar was pungent was hell.  _ It was once. _

 

“I’m not talking about that,” Taako walked, “I’m talking about the monstrosities, you cook up. It not even cooking! One of them was fucking moving!”

 

“Now, you see why I consult with Merle before I do anything pertaining to biology?” Barry was known for his necromancy when he became a lich.

 

They passed through the halls of the ship. Ever since their release of the relics, the halls were losing their vitality. No one bothered to spruce it up anymore with pictures of dogs, streamers, or confetti. The most that happened here was cleaning yet there was a small sheen of dust covering its previous grandeur.

 

Unlike the halls, the two friends chattered, adding vitality the vicinity lacked until they reached the door to the kitchen. It was a shame that they were locking themselves in their rooms when they used to agglomerate as a wayward family.

 

Barry forced himself into a kitchen chair. Like most places on the ship, it was clandestine, Taako took care of it since no one used the kitchen as much as him. Barry was unofficially banned, so he wouldn’t know.

 

Taako procured carton of milk, cocoa beans, and cinnamon sticks. He shifted the items under him. “You up for some hot cocoa?”

 

“Yes please,” the human said.

 

“Gotcha,” Taako dumped all the ingredients into the pot, somehow accurate as the motions were lax. He cast a spell, a calm blue light upon it. 

 

The sound of the stove’s fire filled the room. Its cackle turned into background noise. The atmosphere was almost like his home in the village, except it's with Taako instead of his mom and this would happen sooner or later rather than never.

 

The static shattered when Taako plopped one mug unto the table. “Order’s up.” 

 

“Just one?” Barry said, grabbing the hot beverage. The scent of cinnamon in chocolate breached his senses. His mouth watered.

 

“Nah, I got another one stuck in the pot,” the chef jabbed finger to the stove.

 

“If you say so…” Barry cradled the mug in his hands. Wow, his hands were cold, but he  _ was _ a lich. Disconnected soul and something like that. This scent made his mind foggy. Taako wouldn’t do that. At least not now… would he? “Hey, Taako-“

 

In one smooth motion, the elf poured another mug and settled himself at the table, across from Barry. “Way ahead of you, my dude. Thought you would like to taste it first before Taako joined you. “

 

“Yes, and I-“

 

The elf tapped the rim of the mug with his wand and then takes a swig from the mug, “Is it too hot for you, Bluejeans?” He waggled an eyebrow. “You a coward?”

 

“I am not-“

 

“Then chug! Can’t you do that simple thing?”

 

Barry felt his ears heat up, “I can!” The words blurted out.

 

“Prove it,” the elf kicked his legs up against the table, an eye scrutinizing the human’s choices.

 

It was a matter pride now. Barry wasn’t a proudful one, but Taako was his friend and gods, could he rile him up. He didn’t have anything to prove to Taako, he’ll just do it because one way or another, Taako was not one to be deterred.

 

The human sighed. “Watch,” he chugged the hot cocoa. It burned his throat but was it a congratulatory moment until it hit him. Not entirely, he just knew the spell's effects because of former prank wars and the requirement to use it. Nothing deadly. Something that could mess up one’s sense of time with the tonic called sleep.

 

It was like ten sleepless days were hitting him all at once. The last thing he was able to discern was the elf’s blurring figure as he said, “Be right back.”

 

The friend was out before he could commit to a verbal answer.

 

Next thing he knew was that he was wrapped up in a blanket, still at the table. It was weird, the feeling was he was awake but exhausted at the same time. The clink of ice in a glass took his attention.

 

He shuffled his hands out of the blanket and grabbed the glass to be met with a familiar face.

 

“What the fuck,” Barry rasped. “This isn’t- are you okay- I just- why?”

 

“You looked half dead, and frankly, Barold, that dead human look does not fit you,” Taako said. “Take Taako’s advice, you look better than you have in… a long while.”

 

“Gee, thanks.”

 

“No! I mean it in a good way. I knew how to take care of myself, but I dragged Mags along for good measure. Can’t have you dying here and now. ‘Specially not now. Sure you’re a fuckin’ lich- your body?”

 

“I can’t replace that right now and could, well, be a detriment to our mission.”

 

“Exactly,”

 

Barry sipped at the water. It washed off the bittersweet taste of chocolate. His eyes were level with Taako. “Next time, I’m coming.”

 

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really just wanted some good Bluejeans and Taako bonding time or really to explore their bond. This took longer than I wanted or expected. I wish I found a better title, whoops~
> 
> If you wanna see some stuff or contact me: https://quartzitequandary.tumblr.com/


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